Pneumatic dispatch carrier



Oct. 13, 1931.

A. W. SHANNEHAN PNEUMATIC DISPATCH CARRIER Filed Nov. 22, 1929 V on the line-3-3 of 'Fig.-l;' I

Patented Oct. 13, 1931 ITED STATES ARTHUR w. ,SHiA NNEHAN; 0F, BosLINDALE,'fmssnonusnrrms, Assrenon" To. THE

PNEUMATIC nIsrATon ,cenitinnf Application filed November 22, 1929. Serial No.,97e. f

This invention pertains to carriers such as are employed in pneumatic dispatch systems;

fortransmitting articles or material, for example, cash,'charge authorization sl1ps,.mes sages, publications, or merchandise ingeneral, fromone station to'another andis designed to provide a carrier comprising a plurality of separate compartments facilitat-v ing the dispatch in the same carrier ofarticles :through' the .window 6. Such slip may'be introduced and withdrawn either through; v

or material ofdifferent kinds, for'inst-ance cash and credit cards or messages. I

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated certain-desirable embodiments of the invention by wayyof example, and in the drawings: 1

Fig. 1 is aside elevatiompartly broken away and in section, illustrating a preferred form of the improved carrier;

-Fig. 2 is an end elevation of'the carrier of Fig. 1 viewed from the lower end of the latter figure;

Fig. 3is a transverseisection substantially Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig 1 but illustrating a modified construction; I

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section substan tially on the line 55 of'Fig. 4;

Fi 6 is a fragmentary section on the line 6 6 ofFigAt;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig.1 but ing further modification; and

show- Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectionillustrating f a further modification.-

Fig. 1 comprises an elongate tube 1, preferably'of metal, and provided, if desired,

near one end with a stop rib 2 which forms air abutment for an annular head 3 of felt the extreme end of the tube, as shown' at 4.

This annular formof head leaves the end5 of the tube open to give access to its interior.

As shown in Fig. 1 the tube 1is also provided vvith an elongate access opening or window 6; in itsside wall and is provided with a'ree' silient retaining clip orspring 7 conveniently secured-to the side wall of the tubeat; the .point 8,. The'free extremity of this resilient 50 v clip is disposed opposite to the window ti, and is adapted to holda paper slip 9-or the like in contactwithinner wall ofthe tube andwitha portion 'ofzmthe, slip exposed the window 6 or through theopen end 5 of the'carrier body. I 5 The tube 1 {is furnished with a second access opening 10 longitudinally spaced from ithefendf'ofthe window; 6; Aflcylindriform; gor tubular shell 11 is associated with thatend V ofthe tube 1 remote fromthe head 3, such shell ll, as shown in Fig. 1, telescoping With-l iii the shell 'lland being free to rotate relag tive, to the latter. This shell 11 extends inwardly to a pointintermediate the adjacent ends of the openings 6 and lO 'andis there provided with a closure "member 12, here shown. as a shallow cap :fitting within the '76 end ofgthe shellll and secured to the latter,- as -1f01' example by means of solder. This.

closure;12 forms a partition extending trans- 1 "versely across the tube 1 and dividing the,

space within the latter into twoindependent chambers, in one of which is located the spring clip 7-above referred to, while the? opening 10 gives access tothe other chamber.

The body of the carrier as disclosed in V p 'providedwith a head 1-3 of'feltor the like so V -Theouterend of the shellll is closed and fixedlysecured to the end of the sh ell, preifer'- ably having a drivingxwasher 14: interposed between the'head and the end wall of the 3 shell. The shell 11 is furnished with an open -1 inglO (Fig.3). which'maybe brought into and out ofregistrvwiththe access opening. I {10 relative rotation of the shell 11 and the tube 1, and to prevent relative axial move-j ment of the shell 11 and thetube '1, after the 1 parts are, assembled, the shellll isfprovided 'ao as shown in Fig. 1, with a stop lug 16 removably secured to the shell by means of screws or the like, if desired, and which normally engages an abutment surface 15 defining the end of the opening 10. To permit complete closure of the opening, a recess 17 may be provided to receive the stop 16 when the shell 11 has been turned to closing position.

The carrier thus provided furnishes convenient means for the simultaneous transmission of articles or substances of different character; for example, loose material, such as cash, may be introduced through the opening 10 into one chamber of the carrier and securely retained therein by proper rotation of the closure member 11, while at the same time a charge slip, message, or even small articles of merchandise may be introduced into the other chamber of the carrier and held in position by means of the spring clip 7 or its equivalent. This improved carrier tends to increase the rapidity of service, since it avoids the necessity of sendingtwo carriers in quick succession, although it keeps separate the two classes of material which are to be transmitted.

Referring to Figs. 4, 5 and 6, the modified form of carrier comprises a lower part (as viewed in Fig. 4) which is substantially like the lower part of the carrier shown in 1, comprising the tubular member 18 having the stop shoulder 2 the head 3*, the window 6 and the spring clip 7 corresponding to the parts similarly located in the device of Fig. 1. However, in this instance the tubularmember 18 is of a length approximately half the length of the carrier and is furnished with a closed end 19 which forms a convenient anchorage at the point 8 for the end of the spring clip 7. there is associated a second tubular member 20 also having a closed end 21 which is opposed to the end 19 of the member 18, preferzbly with a driving washer 22 interposed between them, the parts being connected by means of bolts 23 with the members 18 and 21 in axial alignment. The member 20 is furnished with an access opening 24 in its side wall but is open at its upper end, as viewed in Fig. 4 and has associated therewith the cylindriform or tubular shell 25 which, as shown in this figure, telescopes over the outside of the tubular member 20 and extends downwardly nearly to the end 21 of the latter. This shell 25 is provided with an access opening 26 which may be registered with the opening 24 by proper relative rotation of the shell 25 and the member 20, and the outer end of the shell 25 preferably is closed at 27 and has connected thereto the head 13 and the driving washer 14. To keep the shell 25 in assembled relation to the member 20 I prefer to provide the shell 25 with an inwardly projecting stop 16 which normally engages the abutment surface 15 at the end of the access 'With this tubular member 18 opening 24. To facilitate separation of the parts when desired 1 provide that portion of the shell 20 which carries the abutment 15 with a longitudinally extending depressed portion 28, Figs. 5 and 6, forming a channel 29 for the passage of the stop 16. To prevent accidental withdrawal of the stop through this passage 1 provide a spring tongue 30 secured at one end to the depressed bottom member 28 of the channel and having its free end diverging and inclining upwardly with its extremity normally exposed to the stop 16*. At a point adjacent to the stop 16 the shell 25 is furnished with a small opening 31 through whicha suitable instrument may be inserted to depress the'free end of the pring tongue 30 so that when desired the tongue may be moved downwardly into parallel relation to the member 28 to permit passage of the stop 16 above the tongue.

In Fig. Z l have illustrated a further modification wherein the upper portion of the carrier may be substantially like that shown in Fig. 4, but wherein that portion of the ca rier below the driving washer 22 comprises the short tubular member 18 having a head or inturned flange 19 at its upper end by means of which it is secured to the lower end of the upper memberof the carrier. This shor tubular member 18." furnishes an anchorage for one end of the tubular member 32 which may be flexible, for example of rubberized fabric, leather, or the like, and which may be secured to the part 18 by the rivets 33. Near its opposite end the member 32 is provided with the head 34 consisting of a ring of felt or the like suitably secured in position, and the end of the member 32 may be closed by means of a cover 85 secured by a flexible hinge 36 to the member 32 and which may be held in closed position by a snap device 37. Thus in this form of carrier both chambers may be completely closed during transmission of the carrier, although in ihe arrangement shown in Fig. 7 the contents of the lower chamber are not exposed to View except by opening the cover 35.

Conceivably, as suggested in Fig. 8, one of the carrier compartments may be within the head of the carrier, such head having the cavity 40 provided with a suitable closure or retainer device such, for example, as a flexible strip 41 secured to the bottom of the cavity and having overlapping portions 42 and 43 connected by a snap fastener 44 and adapted to hold a card 45 or the like within the cavity.

While I have illustrated certain desirable embodiments of my invention by way of example, I wish it to be understood that the invention is not necessarily limited to these specific embodiments but that various changes in size, proportion and relative arrangement of parts may be made, that equivalents may be substituted for parts here specifi- I the compartments without departing from opening connected to one of said heads for actuation by the latter, the carrier body havthe spirit of the invention. 7

I claim:

v, 1. A carrier for pneumatic dispatch' systems comprising an elongatetubular body, a transverse partitlon dividlng the space within said body into twoseparate chambers,'the body having openings in its side 'wall giving access to the respective chambers, and inde 1 pendent means for retaining material in each of said chambers.

2. A pneumatic carrier provided with a V plurality of independent compartments, and

independent longitudinally arranged means for retaining material in the respective coma partments. 1 i

3; Acarrier for pneumatic dispatch-[systems comprising an elongate tubular body and having a head adjacent to each end, a

transverse partition dividing the space with'- in the body into two distinct chambers, the carrier body havlng an opening in its side wall giving access to one at least of said chamhere, a rotary closure for said opening, the, carrier body having an opening giving access to the other of said chambers, and means for,

retaining material in said latter chamber.

i. A carrier for pneumatic dispatch systems comprising an elongate tubular body and having a head adjacent to each end, a transverse partition dividing the space within the body into twov distinct chambers, the

carrier body having an opening in its side wallgiving access to, one at least of saidchambers, a rotary closure member for said ing a'constantly open window in its side wall giving access tothe other chamber, and a resilient clip Within the latter chamber for holding a slip ofrpaper against the inner surface of the body and in display relation to said window.

5. A carrier for pneumatic dispatch systems comprising an elongate tubular body and having a head adjacent to each end, a

transverse partition dividing" the space with-o in the body into-two distinct chambers, the carrier body having an opening in its side wall giving access to one at least'of said chambers, a rotary cyli'ndriform closure member concentric with the body of the carrier, said closure member being securedto.

one of the heads for actuation thereby to into said latter chamber, and means in said latter chamber forholding a paper slip there:

tems comprising an elongate cylindrical tubehaving a fixed head atone enema being open 4 at the other,'saidtub e havingan access openaiheadsecured to said shellfor rotatingthe 'mean's tofprev'ent} relative aXial movement;

of the shell *andrtube, and me'ansf closing the" in'nerend of the shall and' forming a trans verse p2LTtIt10iYd1V1d 1I1g tube into twogseparatechambers. j

carrier for pneumatic dispatch: syswith said. tube, said shell having an opening registrable with one of the access openings in the tube andbeing rotatable relatively to the tubetocover and uncover-the access opening with which it'is associated, means normally preventing relative axial movement ofthe shell, and tube, and means disposed intermediate said access openings forming a transverse partition dividing the space within the carrier into separate chambers,

8. A carrier for pneumatic dispatch systems comprising an elongate tube having longitudinally spaced'access openings in its side wall, a cylindriform shell concentric with said tube. said shell having an opening registrable with one of the access openings he space Within'thef ing its :side'" wall; a rotary cylindriformshell fitting with n; the open end of said tube,

latter!- to {cover 1 and uncover; SfiJCl opening,

to the tube to cover and uncover the access opening with which it is associated,xa stop carried by 'the shell and engageablerwith the tube normally preventing 'relative axial; movementof'the shell and tube, a head'fixe'd 'to the shell for rotating'the latter, a head fixed to the tube, andv a partition intermediate the access openingsin'the tube separating "the space in the shellinto two separate chain-I bers.

7 9. A carrier for pneumatic dispatch systems comprisingan elongate tube having longitudinally spaced access openings in its side -wa-ll, a cylindrlform shell .concentrlo with said tube, said shell havlng an-opening registrable with one of the access openings in the tube and being rotatable relatively to the tube to ,cover'and uncover the'access opening with which itis sssociated, a cyldriii'orrn shell fitting within the tube and ex tending from one end of the'tube to a point intermediate said access openings, a head fixed to theouter endJof said shell for rotat ng 'the latter relative to' thejtube, and a closure cover and uncover said opening, the carrier jfor the inner end of the shell forming a par body being open at its other end to give access 7 -tothe other chamberand having-a permanently open window in its side wall opening tition dividing the space wit-hinthe tube into two separate chambers. V

10-. A pneumatic carrier comprising telescopic tubular members, a stop projecting from one member, an abutment on the other member normally engaged by said stop to prevent relati'velaxial movement of the tubularmember while permitting relative rotaiso tion thereof, said abutment having a channel through which the stop member may pass to permit axial separation of said members, and a resilient tongue permanently associated With the abutment and disposed in said channel, said tongue normally diverging from the bottom of the channel and having its free end opposed to the stop, said tongue when depressed against the bottom of the channel permitting passage of the stop above it.

Signed by me at Roslindale, Suflolk county, Massachusetts, this fifteenth day of November, 1929.

ARTHUR W. SHANNEHAN. 

